As a fifteen year smoker who walked away from smoking forever, without the help of gum, patches, hypnosis, or drugs of any kind, I can't help but pose this question. Now that I'm officially nicotine free after fifteen years, I have to tell you, although everyone and their brother told me that smoking was in fact an addiction, which is to say something that my body couldn't do without, I have to say that's all a bunch of BS.
I'm still walking around, playing with my daughter, writing articles, working, and the like, so obviously my body can do without nicotine. Not only can it do without nicotine, but it does just fine. I've truly come to the conclusion that all of the hype surrounding smoking and NOT smoking is designed to make it harder for people to quit. The biggest reason that I smoked for so long was the fact that I "thought" it was going to be hard to stop.
That's right, now that I'm a non-smoker once again; I've realized that smoking was all in my head. Smoking was a mental barrier, not a physical one. Now I realize that there are probably many of you out there who are saying, "This guy is so full of crap, his eyes are brown!" All I'm telling you here is what's true for me. And the fact that smoking was mental was absolutely true for me.
Did I experience withdrawals when I stopped? Of course I did. But I found that the withdrawals were because I was so used to smoking that not smoking felt strange to me. Smoking had simply become "normal" to me. Once I realized that all I had to do was change what I thought was "normal", I realized that I was no longer going to be a smoker.
I also changed my environment. I stopped hanging around people who smoked and un-knowingly reinforced the fact smoking was "normal". You know when you sit down and think about it, this type of thinking is insanity. Because in reality how could smoking ever be seen as normal? I thought it was "normal" for fifteen years, which is insane thinking. Smoking is not at all normal!
My bottom line is that smoking isn't an addiction. It's a way of thinking. And the beautiful thing about being a human being is the fact that we can change our thinking. Never forget the statement from A Course In Miracles, "Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change." Change the way you think about smoking and your smoking will change.
I'm still walking around, playing with my daughter, writing articles, working, and the like, so obviously my body can do without nicotine. Not only can it do without nicotine, but it does just fine. I've truly come to the conclusion that all of the hype surrounding smoking and NOT smoking is designed to make it harder for people to quit. The biggest reason that I smoked for so long was the fact that I "thought" it was going to be hard to stop.
That's right, now that I'm a non-smoker once again; I've realized that smoking was all in my head. Smoking was a mental barrier, not a physical one. Now I realize that there are probably many of you out there who are saying, "This guy is so full of crap, his eyes are brown!" All I'm telling you here is what's true for me. And the fact that smoking was mental was absolutely true for me.
Did I experience withdrawals when I stopped? Of course I did. But I found that the withdrawals were because I was so used to smoking that not smoking felt strange to me. Smoking had simply become "normal" to me. Once I realized that all I had to do was change what I thought was "normal", I realized that I was no longer going to be a smoker.
I also changed my environment. I stopped hanging around people who smoked and un-knowingly reinforced the fact smoking was "normal". You know when you sit down and think about it, this type of thinking is insanity. Because in reality how could smoking ever be seen as normal? I thought it was "normal" for fifteen years, which is insane thinking. Smoking is not at all normal!
My bottom line is that smoking isn't an addiction. It's a way of thinking. And the beautiful thing about being a human being is the fact that we can change our thinking. Never forget the statement from A Course In Miracles, "Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change." Change the way you think about smoking and your smoking will change.
Trevor Kugler - Co-founder of JRWfishing and founder of yourmoneyconnection.com Trevor has more than 15 years of business experience and currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country - Montana.
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